MORE NEWS, 1-21: SOLAR HOPE; THE POTENTIAL OF WATER; GREENER, GREENEST & MEANEST CARS; EMISSIONS DATA IS HOT STUFF

SOLAR HOPE
Solar Power Advocates Hopeful for 2010
Robert P. Walzer, January 19, 2010 (NY Times)

"Between 500 and 600 megawatts of solar power will be built this year across the United States — about double the figure of last year — according to Larry Sherwood, who compiles and studies such data as a consultant to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council…[S]ome analysts [are] projecting even higher figures.

"Among states, California is expected to maintain first place, and New Jersey is likely to come in second, with Florida making a strong showing for the first time…Helping to prop up the market will be incentives under President Obama, who announced last week a $2.3 billion tax credit in the clean-energy sector…[T]he falling cost of photovoltaic cells [will also] propel the market this year after a period in late 2008 and early 2009 when prices were rising."

click to enlarge

"Arno Harris, the chief executive of Recurrent Energy, a California solar energy developer, added that flowing bank credit would further help the sector…The outlook for the West Coast looks particularly bright…Adam Browning, the executive director of the Vote Solar Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy group, points to legislative developments there in particular.

"The overarching driver is California’s law requiring the state’s utilities to derive 20 percent of their power from renewable energy this year and 33 percent by 2020. The figure for 2009 was 13 percent…"

click to enlarge

"Mr. Browning also said that Southern California Edison was likely to receive approval from state regulators… to build and own 250 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity and to auction contracts worth 250 megawatts to be owned and maintained by independent power producers…[T]he first auction would take place in the first quarter…Pacific Gas and Electric has applied for a similarly sized program, and the regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission, is expected to approved it in February…

"…[A California] feed-in-tariff program [also appears] to be coming to fruition this year. It would require California’s investor-owned utilities to conduct multiple auctions for 1.5 to 10 megawatt renewable projects of up to 1 gigawatt over four years…Finally, Mr. Browning said that he expected an increase in the state’s cap on net metering — the total amount of solar energy that can be fed into a utility at peak demand, which is now set at 2.5 percent…"


THE POTENTIAL OF WATER
Hydrokinetic and Ocean Energy Renewable Power Generation from Ocean Wave, Tidal Stream, River Hydrokinetic, Ocean Current, and Ocean Thermal Technologies
Peter Ausmus and Clint Wheelock, 2Q 2009 (Pike Research)

"While the total installed capacity of emerging “second generation” marine hydrokinetic Resources… wave, tidal stream, ocean current, ocean thermal and river hydrokinetic resources…was less than 10 megawatts (MW) at the end of 2008, a recent surge in interest in these new renewable options has generated a buzz, particularly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Portugal, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan…[W]ithin the next five to eight years, these emerging technologies will become commercialized…[and] begin competing for a share of the burgeoning [New Energy] market…

"The United Nations (UN) estimates that the total “technically exploitable” potential for waterpower (including marine renewables) is 15 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), equal to half of the projected global electricity use in the year 2030…[R]oughly 15 percent has been developed so far. The UN and World Energy Council projects 250 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower will be developed by 2030…[J]ust 10 percent of this…represents 25 GW, a figure Pike Research believes is a valid possibility…"

click to enlarge

"…[H]undreds of technology designs from more than 100 firms are competing…The five technologies covered in this report are…[1] Tidal stream turbines…90 percent of today’s marine kinetic capacity…[Mostly] first generation “barrage” systems…[2] Wave energy technologies…Any western coastline in the world has wave energy potential…[3] River hydrokinetic technologies…the kinetic energy of moving water…particularly at
the mouth of a river way interacting with a sea and/or ocean…[4] Ocean current technologies…deeper ocean currents that are located offshore…[especially interesting because] the resource is 24/7…[5] Ocean thermal energy technologies…energy from the differences in temperature between the ocean surface and lower depths…[also] 24/7…

"…[T]he Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)…[found] the U.S. has the water resources to generate from 85,000 to 95,000 more megawatts from this non-carbon energy source, with 23,000 MW available by 2025…The superior energy content profile of all of the marine renewables translates into a distinct advantage…far less capital cost per unit of electricity generated…The downside for marine renewables is the unknown operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. Whereas O&M represents 10 percent of total project costs for solar, and 20 percent for wind, 40 percent is a ballpark guess for marine renewables…"

click to enlarge

"The demand for energy worldwide will continue to grow at a dramatic clip between 2009 and 2025…By 2015, Pike Research shows a potential of over 22 GW of all five [marine] technologies…The European Union’s (EU) Ocean Energy Agency has suggested that 10,000 MW could come on-line to meet EU demand by 2020, growing to 200,000 MW by 2050….The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has suggested that the five technologies profiled in this report could meet 2% of current U.S.electricity demand…

"By 2025, at least 25 GW of total marine renewables will be developed globally…If effective carbon regulations in the U.S. are in place by 2010, and marine renewable
targets established by various European governments are met, marine renewables and
river hydrokinetic technologies could provide as much as 200 GW by 2025: 115 GW wave; 57 GW tidal stream; 20 GW tidal barrage; 4 GW ocean current; 3 GW river hydrokinetic…"


GREENER, GREENEST & MEANEST CARS
Latest Technologies Keep a Low Profile in this Year’s Greenest Vehicles
January 19, 2010 (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)

"Amidst continual buzz about innovative green vehicle technologies and the impending arrival of the first full-function all-electric vehicles in a decade, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy…released environmental ratings for model year 2010 vehicles. This is the thirteenth year ACEEE has published its rankings…

"Scrambling to recover from last year’s sales slump and bankruptcies, manufacturers are introducing an array of new vehicles designed to meet the demands of fuel-conscious buyers and increasingly stringent fuel economy standards…"

click thru for complete listings and details

"The 'greenest vehicle' title goes once again to Honda’s natural gas-powered Civic GX, while the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid claim spots two and three. New arrivals to the 'Greenest' list this year are the Honda Insight, the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid (named the 2010 North American Car of the Year), and the Hyundai Accent Blue. The remainder of the “Greenest” list is comprised largely of highly fuel-efficient conventional vehicles such as Smart Fortwo Convertible at number four and the Chevrolet Cobalt XFE and its Pontiac G5 XFE twin at number ten…"

click thru for complete listings and details

"Widely regarded as the pre-eminent buyer’s guide to environment-friendly passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs, greenercars.org provides the facts necessary to examine the eco-performance of any 2010 model. Vehicles are analyzed on the basis of a “Green Score,” a singular measure that incorporates unhealthy tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and emissions of gases that cause global warming.

"The 'Meanest' list this year remains largely unchanged from 2009. It is comprised once again of a variety of heavy-duty trucks and SUVs and luxury European vehicles. The Lamborghini Murcielago tops the list this year with a Green Score of 18…[A] 'Greener Choices' list includes trucks and SUVs such as the Ford Escape Hybrid, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Equinox, and the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid. Cars such as the Honda Fit and Hyundai Sonata top their respective classes. As the list demonstrates, consumers can make “greener choices” whatever their vehicle needs may be…"


EMISSIONS DATA IS HOT STUFF
Groom Energy Research Study Reveals 2009 Growth in Enterprise Carbon Accounting Software Market Research Details Latest Market Sizing, Recent Investments and Acquisitions; Selects Emerging Leaders for 2010
January 19, 2010 (MarketWire)

"Despite a recessionary economy and stalled environmental regulation, 2009 was a promising year for the emerging Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA) software market.
According to [Enterprise Carbon Accounting; An Analysis of Corporate-Level Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reporting and a Review of Emerging GHG Software Products, from Groom Energy] by Groom Energy Solutions, more than $46 million in venture capital was invested in ECA startup companies while software giants Computer Associates and Microsoft entered the market and EnerNOC, IHS and SAP made acquisitions. The research also confirmed the number of corporations now disclosing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) increased significantly in 2009 and predicts that ECA software purchases will increase 600 percent by 2011.

"In ranked order, the three principal factors behind the momentum of the ECA market are…[1] Increased pressure from customers and investors for companies to create a 'greener' public image…[2] Cost and energy savings from sustainability investments…[3]. Mandates from buyers, like the Walmart Supplier Sustainability Assessment Program that was implemented to measure the environmental impact of supplier operations…"

click to enlarge

"…[This] is the third ECA report from Groom Energy. The first…was released in Jan. 2008, with an addendum in May of 2008, to provide a guide for organizations beginning to track and report their GHG emissions. It was obvious at the time that many companies had grown beyond traditional tracking means -- spreadsheets -- and 40 vendors were already present in the market. The 2010 report now identifies a total of 60 vendors and profiles 20 of them in four category types: environmental health and safety vendors (EHS), new products from large firms, startup companies, and energy management firms.

"Eight companies were named 2010 ECA Emerging Leaders in the report…[based on] number of customer deployments, technology features, market vision and financial stability. The current leaders are: Enablon, Enviance, Hara, IHS, Johnson Controls, PE International, ProcessMAP and SAP…Enablon and Hara are newcomers to the list, while the others were named 2009 ECA Emerging Leaders."

click thru for a library of material on emissions data tracking

"Research Key findings…[1] Protecting and enhancing company image, rather than pending GHG regulation, is the top driver among purchasers…[2] Supply chain initiatives like the Walmart supplier assessment program will motivate purchases [in] 2010 and 2011…[3] Five acquisitions were completed and venture capital investment totaling more than $46M in startup companies took place in 2009…[4] Energy /bill payment vendors established a solid market presence…[5] Despite the early stage of the current ECA market, 60 vendors offer software products. Market consolidation is expected to occur in the next two years…[6] The number of organizations using ECA software is expected to increase five fold by 2011; investment will be made by companies that have not traditionally invested in environmental software…

"The report is available for $495 per single user and $695 for a company license…Groom Energy provides consulting and installation of sustainable, renewable and energy efficiency systems for commercial, industrial and institutional customers…"